Thirds to john blue and richard elliott ash



UNITED` STATES ATENT Triton.

OWENSBY HOWARD WOODFILL, OF NEVADA, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OF TWO- THIRDS TO JOHN BLUEv AND RICHARD ELLIOTT ASH, OF SAME PLACE.

VENDING- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 502,598, dated August 1, 1893.V

Application iiled February 8, 1893. Serial No. 461,463. (No model.)

.To all whom t may concern: i

Be it known that I, OWENSBY HOWARD WOODFILL, of Nevada, in the county of Vernon and State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Vending- Machines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to an improvement in vending machines, and it has for its object ro to provide a machine of exceedingly simple, compact, durable and economic construction, especially adapted to deliver packages containing stamps, for example; or it may be also used to deliver car tickets, tickets to places of x 5 amusement, hotel meal tickets or tickets of any description, or packages, or small books approximating in shape that of a ticket.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of the several 2o parts, as will be hereinafter full y set forth and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar figures and letters of referz5 ence indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a horizontal section'raken near the top of the machine and practically on the line 1 1 of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a vertical section 3o taken practically on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is also a vertical section taken at right-V angles to the section shown in Fig. 2, and

practically on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4

is a vertical section taken practically on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the machine drawn upon a small scale. V

The body of the machine consists of a box or casing A, which may be of any desired size 4o or of any approved material. The box or casing is preferably provided at its top with a lid or cover 10, hinged to the body and provided with any desired form of lock; but instead of opening'the casing at the top it may be opened at any of its sides, and closed by yor any desired material, the outer face of the backing being visible through the glass panel, and upon the backing instructions, advertisementsorinformation maybeprinted. The backing preferably near its lower central portion is provided with an opening 13, and this opening is of sufficientsize and of proper shape to display a coin of a predetermined `denomination when placed back of it, as 5o kshown in Fig. 3, the coin to be displayed being the coin determined vupon for manipulating the mechanism contained within the box. A second and preferably smaller opening is made at one side of the coin display panel, the opening being practically closed by a preferably transparent panel 14. The opening is not entirely closed, as below the lower end of the panel 14 a slot 15, is left, and at the slot a table 16, is ordinarily erected upon 7o the casing. When the panel 14 is of a transparent material, the merchandise to be delivered by the mechanism is exposed to view, as the merchandise is located immediately back of the panel and is delivered through the slot 7 5 15; but I desire it to be distinctly understood that the arrangement of the panels 11 and 14 may be varied, or one or both of theln may be dispensed with, if in practice it is found desirable.

The merchandise compartment or chamber B, is located, as above stated, back of the panel 14, and the floor of the compartment is preferably on a level with the upper face of the table 16. This compartment may be given 8 5 any desired shape in cross section; usually, however, it is rectangular, and comprises when so formed two side Walls 1] and 18, and although in the drawings a separate outer side wall is illustrated, one side face of the 9o casing may be utilized for that purpose. The bottom 19 of the package compartment B, is preferably made of metal and extends from the frontof the box some distance beyond what is properly the rear of the compartment, 9 5 as the rear of the compartment is formed preferably by a sliding plate 19a, held to travel in suitable grooves in the sides of the compartment; the sliding plate, however, does partment, as is shown in Fig. 4, since a plunger 20, is adapted to slide upon the upper face not quite approach the bottom of the comroo of the floor of the compartment from the back to the front thereof, and must therefore necessarily pass beneath the back sliding plate 19, the plunger being adapted to contact with the lowermost ticket or package in the package compartment and force the same at propertime out through the front slot 15.

The plunger 20,ordinarilyconsists of aplate, as shown in Fig. 1, of suitable size to slide freely within the compartment; and in the bottom of the compartment a longitudinal slot 21, is produced, and a pin 22, is passed upward through the slot 21 and secured in any suitable or approved manner tothe plun ger, as illustrated in Fig. 4. This pin has attached to it at its lower end what may be termed a trip plate 23, the plate extending transversely beneath the bottom of the package compartment, as shown in both Figs. 2 land 4. The object of this trip plate is to remove obstructions from the outlet slot 15, in advance of the delivery to said slot of a ticket or package. The obstructions usually employed are those shown in the drawings and consist of two pins 24, which have freemovement in apertures produced in the bottom of the package compartment at the outlet slot 15 thereof, as shown also in both Figs. 2 and 4. These pins normally extend upward across the slot in such manner that they can not be compressed from the outside, and they also serve to prevent a package or ticket from being removed from the package compartment by any one from the exterior of the machine. Each pin has attached to it one end of a spring 25, and these springs, when the pins are in their upper position, lie close against the under surface or floor of the package compartment.; but at a point below or back of the compartment the springs are bent downward, and are attached to studs 2G, or their equivalents, secured to the extension of the bottom, as shown best in Fig. 4. When the plunger is forced forward to expel a package, and prior to the plunger engaging with the package, the trip plate 23 will enter .between the springs and the floor of the compartment, and in forcing the springs downward will cause the pins 24 to drop a sufficient distance to bring their upper ends practicallyflush with the upper face of the floor; and it is'likewise obvious that when the plunger is carried rearward out of the package compartment the springs will be released by the trip plate or bar and the pins will again act as barriers. The mechanism by means of which the plunger is operated is a clock mechanism, designated as D in the drawings. This mechanism may be of the usual style employed in clocks, and brieiiy comprises a spring shaft d connected with the spring drum d', a drive shaft d2, operated from the spring drum, a pinion shaft cl3, an esc'apement shaft CZ, and necessary gearing between the escapement, the drive shaft and the spring drum. The

drive shaft d2 of the movement is provided with a head 27, which head is usually in the shape of a bar, one end of the bar being rigidly fastened to the drive shaft. Near the free end of the bar one extremity of a pitman 28, is pivotally attached, the opposite endV Vof the pitman being connected with a lever 29, between the center and free end of the lever; and the lever at its free endis connected by a rod 30 with the pin 22, heretofore described as passing through the floor oflthe package compartment and as attached to the plunger. The lever 2f), is fulcrumed prefer-v ably near the side of the machine opposite that at which the storage compartment is located; and ordinarily the pivoting of the lever is accomplished, as shown in Fig. 3, by attaching to the lever a pintle 31, which is journaled at its lower end in the bottom of the casing, and at its upper end in a bracket 32; but other equivalent means may be employed for attaching the lever.

I will next describe the peculiar construction of the chute into which the coin is introduced.

The chute, which `is designated in its entirety as E, is located ordinarily at the side of the box to or near which the lever 29, is fulcrumed. The chute comprises three independent sections, an upper section e, which may be denominated a receiving section, an intermediate section e which may be called a 4trip or lever section, and a lower section e2, adapted as a delivery section, as the coin passes from this section to the coin-receiving compartment. The upper or receiving scction of the chute is ordinarily made somewhat S-shaped in general contour, as shown in Fig. 3. It is open at its upper and lower ends, and its upper end is located beneath a slot 33 made in this instance in the cover, and through said slot the coin is to be introduced. The upper section is closed at all of its points except at its top and bottom, and is held removed some distance from the side of the casing through the medium of suitable brackets 35. The trip or lever section of the chute is somewhat trough shaped; it is open at both ends and likewise preferably at the top, and the width of this section and its depth are such as to loosely receive the coin determined upon, and the coin will be held in au upright position and roll freely therein. One end of the trip or lever section of the chute is located immediately beneath the lower end of the upper chute section in order to safely receive a coin from said upper section; and this end of the central section of the chute is pivoted in a bracket 36, or its equivalent, the pivot being at the upper end of the section; and at its pivotal end the intermediate section of the chute has a weight 37 attached to it, as is likewise shown clearly in Fig. 3. This weight will normally support the chute in a downwardly inclined position, with its lower end in engagement with a stud 3S, which lim- :its the upward movement of the section, while the lower movement of the section is limited by a second pin 39, located some dis- IOC) IIO

tance below the upper pin, the lower pin being adapted to engage with the under face of the said lever or trip section of the chute. The weight 37, is so calculated that it will only support in its upper position the chute section to which it is attached, but when a coin enters the said pivotal section of the chute and rolls to its lower end, the weight is overcome and the chute sinks to its lower position which is much more decidedly inclined than the upper position, but the coin is prevented from falling from the lower end of the chute, or leaving that end, Vby carrying a finger 39 upwardly across the said lower end, and this finger is connected with an angle arm 40, journaled upon the back of the tilting or pivoted section of the chute and extending along to the pivotal end of that section, and thence outward and preferably in front of the inner face of the section, terminating in a loop 4l. This loop receives one end of a trip rod or lever 42, the rod or lever being pivotally attached to the extension of the package compartment, 0r an equivalent support. The lever is ordinarily constructed with a straight body and crank arms at each end, one crank arm being at the pivotal end of the lever or trip bar, the other crank arm entering the loop of the angle arm of the chute. When the pivotal end of the lever or trip bar 42 is elevated its opposite end will be carried upward also, and the loop end of the angle arm of the chute will be raised as well, and the finger 39, will be carried from over the end of the tilting or pivotal section of the chute, and at that time only can the coin escape from that section. The lower or delivery section e2 is a fixed section and has also a downward inclination. The upper or receiving end of. this section is so placed that when the tilting or pivotal section is depressed by a coin these two sections will be in such relation to each other that the coin will pass readily from one to the other, as indicated in Fig. 3. The lower or delivery section of the chute is constructed in practically like manner as the tilting section, having open ends and top; andthe lower portion of the Vdelivery section is carried across a corner of the casing and along the front thereof, back of the display opening 13 in the panel ll. Justbefore reaching the opening the outer wall of the chute is cut away, so that the coin when opposite the opening will be visible from the exterior of the machine, as shown in Figs. 3 and 5. The coin can not drop farther as the lower portion of the lower chute section is so shaped at its lower end as to form a pocket e3, shown best in Fig. l, and the coin while in this pocket and in front of the display opening, is held normally in that position by resting upon the horizontal member of an angular trap 42a. This trap is practically a gate; its lower or horizontal member forms, the floor for the pocket e3, while its vertical member is pivotally attached or hinged to the outer face vof the chute, and at its pivotal point the'gate or trap 42a has an arm 43, attached to it, and the Said arm extends inward Within the path of the head 27 of the drive shaft of the movement; preferably the inner end of the arm 43, is bent in such manner thatit Will be engaged by a pin 44, located upon the outer end of the said head,and be lifted by the pin. This pin also acts upon the inner pivotal end of the lever or trip rod 42, which actuates the releasing finger 39a of the tilting section of the chute. When the gate 42fL is drawn from over the bottom of the'pocket ethe coin will drop out into the compartment adapted to rece1ve the coin. In the drawings the compartment is shown in the shape of a drawer and is de signated as 45, and into this drawer the coin will fall as shown in Fig. l.

In the event a coin lighter or smaller than the coin intended to be used is placed in the chute, the coin will simply roll from thelower end of the tilting section of the chute upon a platform 46, constructed upon the upper end of the 'lower section, and from that platform the coin will drop into the'drawer45 and the mechanism will not be operated in the slightest degree, as it is necessary that the free end of the tilting section of the chtite shall be made to drop downward before the actuating mechanism can be set in motion.

The connection between the tilting section of the chute and the actuating mechanism 1s effected ordinarily by attaching alocking arm 47 to the pivot of the chute section, or to the said section at its pivot point, and the said locking arm, when the pivotal section of the chute is in its upper or normal position, will be in the path of the escapement 4S, as shown in Figs. l and 2, and will eectually prevent the escapement from turning. When, however, the free end of the said chute section is dropped downward, the arm 47, is removed from the path of` the escapement and the spring of the .movement is free to act.

The principal use to which the machine 1s adapted to be appliedis to deliver small books of information, each book containing, for example, two two-cent stamps, and a coin of the Adenomination of five cents is adapted ordinarily for the operation of the machine; but I desire it to be distinctly understood,as heretofore stated, that the machine may be made to operate with coin of any predetermined denomination, and merchandise of any character may be delivered from the machine. For purposes of illustration I have shown the pack- TOC IIO

age compartment as containing a series of square packages, and a coin of the denomination of five cents is the coin to actuate the mechanism.

In operation, supposing the normal position of the plunger to be that shown in Fig. l, namely, at the back of the storage compartment and removed from it, if a coin of the proper denomination is dropped into the up-l per section of the chute it will immediately fall in the intermediate or tilting section and will depress the free end of that section, but

the coin can not escape owing to the resistance afforded by the locking finger 39a. As the tilting section of the chute shifts downward, the locking arm 47, is disengaged from the escapement of the clock movement and the train of gearingr is set in motion and the head 27 attached to the main shaft will be revolved. The first action will be to draw the lever 29 forward, thus carrying the plunger in the same direction and within the storage compartment, engaging with the lowermost package in said compartment; and as the plunger enters the storage compartment, the pins 2-1, or other obstacles placed at the outlet slot l5 will be withdrawn, and upon the full forward movement of the plunger the lowermost package will be forced out from the said opening 15. In the meantime, the release or trip lever 42, will be acted upon bythe head 27, and its free end lifted, and consequently the locking finger 39 with which it is connected will be carried out of the path of the coin and the coin will roll into the lower section of the chute and into the pocket e3, and will be visible at the opening 13. At that time the plunger will have returned to its original position. Let it be imagined that this is the rst coin fed into the machine; the first coin remains visible at the display opening 13. When the next coin is introduced into the chute, and before the locking finger 39a is released, the head 27 will have engaged with the arm 43 controlling the gate 42a at the pocket c3, and by such engagement will shift the gate so as to release the coin in the pocket, and shortly after the coin is released the shifting or trip lever 42, is engaged by the head and the locking finger is removed from the path of the coin in the tilting section of the chute, and this coin will then,in its turn, roll into the pocket e3, but any smaller coins, if placed in the chute, will pass from the tilting section without operating it, and will fall upon the bridge platform 46, from whence it will fall into the coin compartment. Aspurious coin can be detected the moment it appears at the sight opening 13.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In a vending machine, the combination with a motor and a tilting coin chute, of an arm pivoted to the chute and provided with a finger projecting across the lower end -of the said chute, and a pivoted trip lever engaging the said arm and adapted to be operated bythe motor, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a vending machine, the combination with a'motor, and a tilting coin chute, of an angle arm journaled upon the chute, and provided at one end with a linger projecting across the lower end of the chute and at its other end with a loop, and a pivoted trip lever, having a straight body and cranked ends,

one of which enters the loop of the angle arm, the said trip lever being operated by the motor, substantially as described.

In a vending machine, the combination with a motor, of a tilting coin chute havinga brake connection with the said motor, an arm pivoted on the chute and provided with a finger projecting across thelowerend of the said chute, and a pivoted trip lever engaging the said arm, and adapted to be operated upon by the motor when said motor has been released by tbe tilting chute, substantially as described.

4. In a vending machine, the combination with an actuating mechanism,of a coin chute formed in sections, one section being pivoted and counter-balanced and the lower section provided with agate, a ingerprojecting across the lower end of the tilting section of the chute, and means for successively operating the gate of the lower section and the finger of the tilting section, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. In a vending machine, the combination with a casing provided with a glass panel, and an actuating mechanism, of a coin chute formed of two stationary sections and an intei-mediate pivoted and counter-balanced section, the lower section projecting past the glass panel of the case and provided with a display opening opposite the said panel and with a pocket at its lower end, a hinged gate for closing the said pocket, an arm pivoted on the pivoted chute section and provided with a finger projecting across the lower end of the said chute section, and means for successively operating the said gate and nger, substantially as herein shown and described.

6. In a vending machine, the combination with a storage compartment, a plunger in the compartment, and a motor, of a coin chute formed in sections, one section being pivoted and the lower section provided with a gate, a brake carried by the tilting section and operating upon the motor, a finger projecting across the lower end of the tilting section, and mechanism for operating the plunger, gate and finger from the motor, when the said motor is released by the tilting of the said chute section, substantially as described.

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7. In a vending machine, the combination, i

OWENSBY HOWARD WOODFILL,

Witnesses:

H. M. DUCK, A. McGovNEY. 

